The afternoon sun is unforgiving in New Chandigarh, making outdoor activities inadvisable during this peak summer. The Indian players turned up for practice at 1 pm, and as they went through their drills, grimaces were evident on their faces. Yet, laughter frequently echoed around the new PCA Stadium, courtesy of Rishabh Pant, who is two days away from playing his 50th Test match when India take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test on Saturday.
A Journey from Debut to Milestone
Pant had yet to make his Test debut when India last played Afghanistan in a Test in 2018. Over the past eight years, Afghanistan has played just 12 Test matches, but Pant has been on a manic ride to become arguably the best wicketkeeper-batter in India's Test history and the most impactful Test batter of the decade. It is difficult to wipe the grin off Pant's face; he could even wisecrack while lying on a hospital bed, his limbs immobile after a near-fatal car accident.
Leadership Dynamics and Emotional Undercurrents
This week will be different for him, though. He remained his usual playful self during practice on Thursday, but he is no longer the vice-captain of the team—a responsibility given to him exactly a year ago when Indian cricket embarked on a major transition in Test cricket. The grin now serves as a veil over emotional upheaval. At times, it felt like he was trying too hard to maintain his character. The milestone match has become a starting point for him.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate commented on the situation: 'I don't think you need a formal title to be a leader in a setup like this. I think Rishabh understands that and I think he's committed to being a good role model and a senior player. He's been in great spirits again. He's always one of those guys who's happy and cheerful and drives the spirit in the team. We've got no complaints from him. You wouldn't even notice that his role in the leadership structure has changed.'
If appointing him vice-captain liberated him during the tour of England last year, relieving him of the role in his 50th Test casts aspersions on his position within the leadership group. If he was seeking reassurance after a tumultuous IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants, he was left with more to prove. The conversations upon joining the Indian team must have been awkward, but they were necessary.
Conversations with the Coach
'I actually heard him and Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) having a chat yesterday around how he wanted to conduct himself as a senior player. It extends to your communication but also how you're going to play. With Rishabh's brilliance, we don't want to take away all the stuff that he does. Occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the situation slightly more, I think that's something you'll see him work on,' Doeschate revealed.
During Pant's 45-minute batting session, the vertical bat was more in play, and stone-dead defence against spinners took prominence, with Gambhir constantly chatting with him from behind the nets—a rare scene since Gambhir's tenure began in August 2024. The team management has made it clear that they seek alterations in Pant's game, which may deviate from his strong free-wheeling instincts. It is now up to Pant to retain that grin and joy in a journey that has suddenly become about his survival.
